The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-04-02
THE WEEK OF SEVEN DAYS

As has been remarked by the COM
nentators. and as Is apparent to careful
readers, IL would seem that some notion
of the week of seven days was current
among the people whose history Is re-
corded IN very early times. that is To
say. at date long preceding Moses or
any of the books written by him. The
proof OF this is To be found in such
passages as the following: Genesis.
xxx, "a. where Jacob Is desired by
Laban to fulfill her week." that is
Leah's week. in order that he might
also receive Rachel. The week appears
To express the time given up To nuptial
festivities. So afterward in Judges.
xiv, where Samson speaks of ''the
seven days of the feast" So also on
the occasion of the death of Jacob.
Joseph made mourning for his father
seven days" Genesis. l.. 10) But
''neither of these instances. any more
than Noah's procedure in the ark. 20
further than showing the custom of OBJ
serving n term of seven days for any
observance of Importance" They do
not prove that the whole year or the
whole month was thus divided at all
times and without regard to remark
able events They do not indeed prove
this, but they suggest the division as
common aud familiar aud in some early
period recognized an institution.
When. therefore. the children of Israel
went down TO Egypt for what proved TO
be very long sojourn in that country
they possibly were familiar with the
practice of dividing time by weeks. aud
at all events the notion of seven days AS
a convenient portion of time for the
affairs of life would not seem altogether
strange to them. IL is exceedingly
probable that ON arriving in Egypt they
found the week established by the prac-
tiee of the country. IL will be observed
that il was in Egypt that Joseph mourn
ed seven days for Jacob; and il is pos
sible, though there seems to be no neces-
sity to assume the fact, that in SO doing
he was conforming to the custom OF the
country, as he did With regard To the
embalming and chesling of his father 5
remains. But independently of any
such consideration. it would seem high
i ly probable that the israelties found
| themselves in Egypt among people
who divided the time by weeks of seven
days. We know that they did so at a
/ later period; why might they not have
commenced as early as before the So
/ iourn of the IsraelitesP The Egyptians
were, in fact people very likely to be
| advanced in such matter as this;
order and government. both ecclesiasti-
| cal and civil. were undoubtedly in re-
markable state of perfection at the time
1 to which reference is now made, aud il
would seem much more probable than
/ otherwise that SO convenient an iustitl-
! ton as the subdivision of the month
| into short periods had already been
/ established. 1t may be noted with
reference to the number seven aud its
recognition in some form or another as
a special number among the Egyptians.
/ that we have incidental evidence in the
/ dream of Pharaoh; the special form ol
the dream, as presenting seven fat and
seven lean kline. may be supposed tC
have been connected with some famil.
/ iarity in Pharaoh's mind with the num-
Der seven during his waking hours.
/ And as regards the lsraelites. 1t NAV be
observed that the period of seven days
| is introduced into the most solemn
event of their Egyptian sojourn. name
! ly. the ordinance of the Passover.
Seven days shall We eat unleavened
bread; even the first dav We shall pu
away leaven out of your houses; foi
| whosoever eateth leaven bread from th,
| first until the seventh day. that sou
shall be cut off from Israel. - IN.
Bishop of Carlisle ta The Contemporary
| ReUtesO.